Tasmanian cricket fan so distracted by quick wickets he almost steps on tiger snake – ABC News

Tasmanian cricket fan so distracted by quick wickets he almost steps on tiger snake
For the latest flood and weather warnings, search on ABC Emergency
A Tasmanian man has been so engrossed by the cricket, he has not noticed a tiger snake slithering straight past him. 
Peter Debono had come inside after a morning of working the paddocks in Wynyard, on Tasmania's north-west coast, to have some lunch and catch up on the Australia vs South Africa Test match on Sunday. 
He did not expect to find a tiger snake on his kitchen floor. 
"It took me a few seconds to click into gear," he said. 
"It was just bizarre, something you don't expect." 
Mr Debono's eyes had been glued to Travis Head. 
"We were batting. We were just losing a couple of wickets," he said. 
"I'd left the back door open so it would have just slid straight past me on the lounge into the kitchen." 
Mr Debono grabbed a broom, attempting to shepherd the snake out the door, only for it to crawl under his dishwasher. 
He called for backup, locked his dogs away, and managed the situation until North West Snake Catchers arrived. 
"I just sat there, half an eye on the cricket and half an eye on the dishwasher," he said. 
Snake catcher Kate Downing located the snake in the cupboard next to the dishwasher, cosy among the pipes. 
She suspected the snake, which was over a metre long, had been trying to escape the heat. 
"Snakes will generally be around your house if they're sourcing food or water, or somewhere to get out of the heat," she said. 
She said providing water sources on the outskirts of your property could prevent snakes coming closer and drinking from a pet's water bowl. 
Ms Downing said she was getting more call-outs as the weather warmed, estimating three or four a day. 
"They can turn up anywhere — inside, outside, in sheds, wood piles, gardens," she said. 
Ms Downing advised people who found a snake around their home to put pets in a safe place. 
"We also advise you to keep an eye on the snake because they are quite fast," she said. 
"Keep it within a safe distance and then ring a snake catcher. 
"Do not try and catch it yourself." 
She also advised parents to educate their children on snake safety, telling them to alert an adult and keep clear of the area. 
And she said it was wise to keep lawns short and homes free of clutter. 
Tasmania has only three types of snakes but all are venomous. 
After Hours Veterinary Emergency Centre director Vibeke Russell said summer was a high-risk time for snake bites to pets. 
Here are the steps to get breaking news alerts on the latest Tasmanian stories directly to your phone. 📱
Download the ABC News app — Apple App Store | Google Play
Dr Russell said it was important to keep pets away from bodies of water on hot days. 
She said dogs that had been bitten by a snake might vomit, collapse or appear weak — and then could appear to bounce back. 
"Get the animal to a veterinarian as quickly as possible," she said. 
"The sooner we treat, the better the chances of survival. 
"If we get them before death and get the antivenene into them, it's a very treatable illness. 
"We have even treated an animal that was dead on arrival and were able to resuscitate it doing CPR, whilst we were giving antivenene and that dog was on a ventilator for 36 hours and eventually did go home. That's an extreme example." 
Set the ABC News website or the app to "Tasmania Top Stories" from either the homepage or the settings menu in the app to continue getting the same national news but with a sprinkle of more relevant state stories.
Here's a taste of the latest stories from Tasmania 📰
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced.
AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

source